Pilate Washing His Hands, from "The Small Passion"
Original title: Pilate Washing His Hands, from "The Small Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer made this woodcut around 1509 as part of his Small Passion. It depicts Pontius Pilate washing his hands after condemning Jesus. The cycle consists of 37 woodcuts on the life and suffering of Christ. This print is in black and white and relies on delicate lines.
Description
Pilate sits enthroned at the center, a servant holding a basin before him. The governor pours water from a bowl into the vessel. Soldiers flank the group, one with a lance. Behind them, columns and a piece of roof are visible. The figures wear Renaissance garments and headwear. The layout is symmetrical, and the light falls evenly without cast shadows.
Context
The Small Passion was created between 1508 and 1511 in Nuremberg and served as a devotional image for a broad audience. Dürer used woodcut to spread biblical scenes in large numbers. In 1511, the series first appeared as a book with Latin texts by the humanist Benedictus Chelidonius. This print illustrates the Passion story according to Matthew 27:24.
Impact
The clear lines and calm arrangement give the scene a detached, almost ceremonial air. Pilate's action appears as an act of refusing responsibility, which the symmetrical arrangement and stately figures emphasize. The restriction to black and white directs the eye to narrative details.
Technique
The sheet measures roughly 12.7 x 9.8 cm, matching the small-format prints of the series. Within this compact field, the scene sits with Pilate centered and the soldiers flanking him, while the fine lines and hatching carry the composition without tonal shading.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)